Thumbs -- Published Dec. 4, 2012

In the San Joaquin Valley, water officials for months have been working to make an old river - the San Joaquin - again run through it.

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By The Record

recordnet.com

By The Record

Posted Dec. 4, 2012 at 12:01 AM

By The Record
Posted Dec. 4, 2012 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

In the San Joaquin Valley, water officials for months have been working to make an old river - the San Joaquin - again run through it.

Last week, wildlife officials began the next phase of the work to restore salmon runs in it.

It's a small start; two chinook salmon released 30 miles below the Friant Dam the construction of which 62 years ago spelled the end of fish runs that for eons made the San Joaquin River team with the iconic species.

The hope is the fish will spawn in the river's gravel beds and their offspring, imprinted with the river, will make their way 320 miles to the Pacific, then return in three years to complete the life cycle.

There are obstacles, physically along the river and in the knowledge needed to make this happen, but with luck and time and effort salmon may one day again be so thick that you can walk across the river on their backs.

Thumbs up

You'd think someone told in May his cancer was back and they had only six months to live would be down on life. You'd think someone told that who's just 22 would really be down on life.

But that's not Tucker Larson, who got all that bad news just three months after being accepted as a transfer student to San Francisco State.

He was on top of the world last week when the longtime Stockton Thunder fan found himself sitting on the bench with the team during a game.

He got to shoot a few pucks with the players earlier and even gave them a pep talk.

"When you're on that bench, you get to see the excitement, intensity and pressure and it's just phenomenal," Larson told CW31 reporter Nick Janes.

It was something else for his parents.

"Memories is all you can take with you. That's it," Dad Stephen Larson said.

"Wonderful, emotional. So to see him so happy is, as a parent, you can't put it into words," Mom Julia Larson said.

The Thunder gave the Larsons a memory they can preserve.

Thumbs up

When it comes to buying vs. renting, the edge goes to buying in San Joaquin County, according to a report last week from the real estate research firm Zillow.

It takes only about 2 years to reach the breakeven horizon, meaning if you plan to stay in place for at least two years you're better off buying than renting. Zillow found that in 152 of 257 metro areas surveyed have a breakeven horizon of less than three years. Among the 30 largest metros, New York metro has the longest breakeven horizon at close to 5 years, making it a better place to rent for many people. Detroit has a breakeven horizon of 1.7 years, the lowest horizon among the top 30 metros.

The city of Stockton had a breakeven horizon of 1.9 years whereas the county's longest horizon was in Morada at 2.5 years, reflecting its relatively higher home prices. Zillow took into consideration all the costs associated with buying a home (down payment, maintenance, appreciation etc.) and renting the same home (rental payments, transaction costs, appreciation etc.) to determine this breakeven horizon.

Thumbs up

The Downtown Stockton Alliance ousted its chief executive - the fourth to hold the job in five years - and promoted its economic development director last week. All of this is seen as a move to address downtown security issues.

Emily Baime, 31, is in and Tim Kerr is out after a 2 1/2 year tenure. At the same time, the Alliance announced it is redirecting about a third of its $1.1 million budget to pay for two full-time Stockton Police Department bicycle officers, two part-time officers and more private security.

This is a move away from event planning and promotion for the city core, but the thinking seems to be if people don't feel safe, they won't come to downtown events no matter how well planned.